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SOTA c55s02
Text When Luna and Scrivener woke up, Twilight was still fast asleep... but that wasn't much of a surprise. The Lich's body needed the rest, after all, and they were both happy to leave her at rest in their comfortable bed. Scrivener carefully tucked Twilight back in after they slipped out of bed, while Luna smiled around their clustered room: it was a mix of neat and messy, textbooks mixed up with poetry books and art theory. A little bit of each of them could be seen scattered all around the room... and after a moment, Luna's eyes roved up to the ceiling above, where she had long ago painted stars and constellations and lunar symbols, and they still seemed to shine down with their own strange brightness from above. There was the faintest hint of light spilling out beneath the curtains, but all the same, both Luna and Scrivener winced and mumbled curses when they opened the door and saw how bright the sunlight pouring in through the hall window was. They stumbled their way out, closing the door quietly before bumping into each other as they made their way down the hall... and then both ponies simply stared blankly at the sight of Celestia, Cowlick, Pinkamena, Sleipnir, and their two children sitting and waiting for them. Luna and Scrivener traded looks, and then the stallion yawned loudly before he mumbled: “If this is an intervention, I really need to put on coffee first, okay?” “Oh come now, brother, if only two mares are enough to wear thee out so, then thou truly aren't a proper stallion after all.” Sleipnir remarked cheerfully, and then he winced when Pinkamena punched him in the side, grasping at his kidney with a wheeze as Celestia sighed tiredly and Cowlick huffed a bit. “What? What?” “Hey, jackass, that ain't just dependent on the stallion, that depends on the mare too, you hear me? I bet I could wear you down a good bit if I wanted to.” Cowlick replied flatly, and when Sleipnir grinned widely at the engineer, she looked meditatively back at him. “I ain't saying I want to. Look at you, you work at a forge all day and yet you're spotless most of the time. That just ain't right.” Sleipnir looked injured at this, grasping his chest as if hurt. “Thou thinks I am a skartsmaðr! I am no skartsmaðr! I am the most masculine of mighty stallions, far from afraid of a little dirt!” He paused, then reached up and grasped his vine-like locks, adding meditatively: “Except in my mane. Nary a speck of dust may touch my mane, 'tis a grave and terrible offense. 'Tis the source of all my prettiness, after all.” “Yeah, I've always wanted to date a guy who could grow weed out of his head.” Cowlick commented, and Pinkamena snorted in amusement as Sleipnir only favored the engineer with an ill look, and Scrivener took this moment to carefully slip into the kitchen... only to stare stupidly at the sight of Barry, his agent giving a lame grin and a little wave and clearly trying to ignore Abaddon, who was sitting on the counter and peering suspiciously at him. Luna blinked in surprise as she caught Scrivener's shock, and then she leaned over and stared blankly for a few moments at the lanky stallion in the kitchen, before turning a horrible glare on Celestia, snapping: “And what in Helheim's name is he doing here? How dare thee bring him to take part in my public whipping!” “Luna, this isn't about that. This is about Thesis.” Celestia said carefully, and Luna stared for a few moments before the ivory mare softened and added quietly: “Although we also have noticed... your problem... and it is important to speak about it.” “And it ain't nothing to be ashamed of. Getting past the shame's important. I mean, hell, you think you'd know that though, from your weird-ass relationship with your two mares and all.” Cowlick added mildly, gesturing easily down the corridor with one hoof, and Scrivener grumbled from the kitchen as he pointedly ignored Barry to begin putting on coffee. The sapphire mare turned her head away moodily, and there was silence for a few moments before Scarlet Sage looked up and asked softly: “How's Twilight?” “Fine. Much better... her wounds have already healed as well, even if...” Luna reached up and moodily rubbed at her stomach, which still felt sore, and she was unsurprised when she felt the pebbly texture of a slowly-healing wound. “But I believe that has to do with the energy, and that we, of course, serve as her anchors. She has been able to be in contact with us and draw energy from us all night.” “I bet she did. I bet she did.” Cowlick said with relish, and then she sighed when Celestia gave her a pointed look and Antares stared pleadingly at the engineer. “I know, I know, my big mouth is why I never get invited to any parties. Do you want me to talk about the White Matter now or later?” Luna tilted her head at this, and Celestia nodded once. Cowlick grinned widely at this as she began to fumble her cigarettes out of her vest, saying easily: “Great, 'cause I was getting goddamn bored with you chickens clucking away. Okay, then, listen up, Luna. We got a fully-working sample of White Matter from the labs in Manehattan, finally. It's expensive as hell to produce, though, so I'm gonna continue to need a little funding to pay for the necessary materials, and to get all the stuff we need to make it shipped all the way from Manehattan to here. Right now, we only have about ten gallons of the stuff... not a whole lot, unfortunately, because even though the stuff kind of settles into the ground for a while, it doesn't spread all that much, so it works on a one-one ratio against mire. Basically it can be used to neutralize and protect against the corruption gunk... but I'm betting an injection of the stuff would make even one of those big ugly lizards cry for mommy.” Luna tilted her head with interest, and Celestia said quietly: “If the Replicants use the corruption to power themselves, like Scrivener Blooms...” The slightest pause, as all eyes turned towards the kitchen, where Scrivener was awkwardly sitting back and trying to keep his eyes on the coffeepot. “Then the White Matter might be a way to even the odds on the battlefield. Thesis is powerful: I don't dare to guess precisely how powerful, because I think it would be foolish to assume we've even begun to understand precisely what he's capable of. We've only successfully angered him once, and haven't yet left any serious injuries on his body.” Scrivener and Luna both nodded slowly, and Barry muttered a little loudly into the silence that followed: “Well, champ, at least if you survive you'll have another bestseller for Underbrush, right?” “Can I eat him?” Pinkamena asked almost curiously, and when Scrivener looked meditatively at Barry and the agent paled, the demon snorted and muttered: “No, nevermind. You're on your own. There's some things that make even us Gluttony demons sick.” Scrivener snorted in amusement, and Barry looked injured before Sleipnir remarked mildly: “And I must admit, darling phoenix, I always feel so much the safer when thou art not going around, putting other stallions in thy mouth.” Pinkamena slowly looked over at him, and Sleipnir gazed back at her with his childlike, pleasant smile, before he added positively: “Although there is nothing quite as good now and then as a decent sausage, I must admit.” The demon snorted laughter, then hurriedly covered her mouth and cleared her throat as Antares only stared blankly and Cowlick grinned widely, before Celestia said tiredly: “Can we please stay on the subject? I understand that's difficult for you sometimes, little brother, but...” “Oh, fine, fine.” Sleipnir huffed and flailed his hooves a little at the air, then he became more serious as he asked quietly: “Can the White Matter be used to polish our blade and shields, or is its grip upon steel too weak?” “Huh.” Cowlick looked thoughtfully over at Sleipnir for a few moments, then she sat back and remarked: “Okay, maybe you do know your stuff, at least about beating the hell out of things. Yeah, I think we can apply the White Matter in coats over some of our weapons... might help you pierce the defenses of those Replicant Clockwork things, but... the only way we'd know for sure...” Cowlick slowly looked towards the kitchen, and Scrivener groaned loudly before he called dryly: “Cowlick doesn't get a coffee. Does anyone else want coffee?” “That's fine. You got any whiskey? You must, you're one of those jackasses who like to tempt fate and keep a fully-stocked liquor cabinet.” Cowlick remarked, and when Luna growled at her, the engineer huffed and waved a hoof. “I ain't saying nothing that ain't true.” Luna muttered under her breath before Celestia looked up and asked: “I know that you... aren't fond of this idea, Luna, but why don't you think about staying in Ponyville until we have everything sorted out? It would probably be for the best.” The sapphire mare shook her head after a moment, replying quietly: “I understand why thou art suggesting it, Celestia, and I even appreciate it, I do. But I cannot abandon my home here... and nor do I believe Twilight Sparkle desires to leave here. Nay, this will be where her child is born, where her baby will live... we will instead make this home a safe bastion against any who would do us harm.” “That's not what worries me.” Celestia shook her head slowly, saying softly: “The problem is the path through the Everfree Forest... you could be ambushed at any point between here and Ponyville. And I don't dare to guess what other Clockwork creatures might be...” Celestia frowned a bit as her flowing mane rustled, and then Ratatoskr popped through the curtain of locks to scurry onto her shoulder, leaning up and whispering quickly into her ear. The ivory mare blinked in surprise, and then she frowned before standing up and saying quickly: “Excuse me. I need to send a quick message to Discombobulation. May I use the office upstairs?” “I am offended thou has to even ask.” Luna replied mildly, and the larger mare smiled and nodded before striding quickly away, gently touching Scrivener's shoulder as she passed him before Luna called loudly over her shoulder: “Thou had best be trading naughty love letters with him instead of hiding some important piece of knowledge from me, Celestia!” But Celestia was already out the back door, which swung closed behind her with a snick as Scrivener Blooms smiled and shook his head. He turned towards the counter, then clicked his tongue at Abaddon, and the pseudodragon hopped happily onto his shoulder before he winced when Cowlick asked quietly: “So how are you holding up, Luna, with that whole... thing?” Luna glared at Cowlick for a moment, but the engineer looked calmly back before Scarlet Sage said quietly: “Mom... this is a safe place. None of us are going to judge you, we all love you. We all just want to help you, if... that's possible.” There was silence for a few moments, as Luna swallowed and lowered her head, before she said finally: “It is not an addiction. It is not a weakness or a... a failing... I simply... I require corruption now to survive. Or at least... that is what... the parasites said.” It was clear who she was talking about from the way she used the word, and the ponies glanced between each other quietly before Scrivener strode into the room with a tray loaded with mugs of coffee, two empty shot glasses, and a large bottle of whiskey. Luna took this from him with telekinesis so the stallion could begin passing the drinks out, smiling a little as he added a dollop of amber to one of the mugs before Sleipnir took it with a smile, while shot glasses of the same substance went to Pinkamena and Cowlick. Demon and engineer clinked their drinks together before both knocked back their shots, neither caring it wasn't even late morning yet, while the others sipped slowly at their coffee. There was silence for a few moments, and then Luna finally sighed when all eyes turned back to her. “I... do not know what the truth is, but it seems that going without for a long period of time... it will weaken me, and sap my magic. Valthrudnir was very sure of this. And it feels like dying is a very real possibility when I go for so long... without.” Cowlick grunted, picking up the bottle to refill her glass, and then she tossed it over to Pinkamena, who caught it, took a swig from the neck, and then refilled her own as the engineer asked: “So what? You have to manage your drug, then?” “It is not an addiction!” Luna snapped, and then she flushed slightly, looking embarrassedly away when her children both looked at her with concern, and Sleipnir smiled faintly. “It is not. But unfortunately, I cannot go without it...” “Remember when thou poisoned thyself with dragon's blood?” Sleipnir asked, and Luna smiled after a moment, glancing over at him and nodding once. “Thou put on an incredible show. Thou wert truly mighty, and the tremendous strength made the battle that much the easier. But thou wert berserk: Celestia and I had to hold thee down afterwards and drain it out of thee, because thou hurt innocent ponies, and us not so innocent siblings. And thyself, too... but thou never noticed thy shattered foreleg until the poison was culled from thee. For, for all the strength it gave thee... 'twas still a poison.” “This is not like that, Sleipnir. I promise all of thee, this is not like that.” Luna bit her lower lip, looking down silently and closing her eyes tightly. “I promise all of thee I shan't be weak, but I will... I recognize that I need thy help.” She looked up, then turned her eyes down the corridor, smiling faintly as Twilight Sparkle approached with her own soft expression to join the circle. “By myself I would fall. But with all of thee to hold me up I can survive this and learn to live with it, I know... but I know, equally, that... it must be managed properly. I say again, I am no... junkie. I need this. But I know equally without all of thee watching and aiding, it would.. take a grip on me.” There was silence for a few moments, and then Cowlick looked up and said softly: “Yeah, Luna. Yeah, you kind of are an addict already, I ain't gonna sugarcoat that for you just to save your precious ego. The biggest clue that you are isn't the fact you keep saying you aren't, but how you keep talkin' about them with such disgust... the people who hate addicts most are those who went through it themselves or who had to put up with 'em their whole life long. Me, I've seen both ends, so I get that, even if not everyone will. “But yeah, I get that you need it, to some extent or another. But I don't want any of us here enabling her, especially you, Scrivy.” Cowlick said pointedly, glaring over at the charcoal stallion, and the male shifted awkwardly. “I find any bite marks on you I'll kick your ass up and down Ponyville, and I got the means to put even a big crowbait like you in his place, so don't think I won't. We'll manage it until we find a way to get you off the juice, Luna. But it's gonna suck.” “All hail the conquering dyke.” Pinkamena muttered, raising her shot glass in the air, and then she shoved the whiskey bottle across to the engineer, who swept it up with a wry grin before they clinked glass and bottle together, then both took another deep drink. There was silence for a few moments, and then Scarlet Sage said softly: “I'll help too. I know you're always telling me it's dangerous, but maybe I can do something with my powers. Modify the corruption or find a... a safer substitute.” “And... we're here for you, Mom. We all are.” Antares added quietly, glancing over at Luna as Twilight smiled faintly and nodded beside him, reaching a hoof up to rest gently on her son's shoulder. The sapphire mare blushed and closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards in silence before she sipped slowly at her coffee, if just to avoid speaking. There were a few moments of quiet, before Sleipnir asked softly: “Does thou think that... the cravings will vanish when we are able to restore thy old horn?” Luna shrugged: she wanted to nod, to assure everything would go back to normal... but she didn't quite dare. There was too much that could go wrong. Too much that could be proven wrong, as she only smiled faintly. And then she looked up in gratitude at the sound of the back door opening and Celestia drawing everyone's attention, as she said calmly while striding through the kitchen: “We have a visitor, everypony. Let's not keep him waiting.” “I hope it is a prostitute.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Pinkamena rolled her eyes as Luna laughed in spite of everything, and the ponies all climbed to their hooves. Twilight smiled as Antares helped her up carefully, leaning against him a little before they headed towards the front door, led in a line by Celestia as Abaddon chirped curiously to Ratatoskr, and Scrivener could swear the squirrel shrugged in response on Celestia's back. Awaiting them outside was Discombobulation, rubbing self-consciously at his stump of shoulder... and beside him, Kismet was standing calmly, the death entity bowing his head politely with his hand behind his back to them as the ponies filtered out. Cowlick went into a coughing fit at the sight of the death entity before she fumbled for a cigarette, shoving it into her muzzle and not relaxing until it was lit, while Scrivener, Luna, and Twilight looked at the creature with only a bit of surprise, and Sleipnir smiled warmly, greeting: “Well met, friend, and all the more for these better circumstances! And how art thou fairing since when last our paths crossed?” “Very well, thank you.” Kismet replied politely as he straightened, and then he added softly: “I am, of course, here on business instead of personal pleasure. Thesis has asked me to come and extend a hand of friendship on his behalf-” “Well, 'twill be difficult to take it as we have hooves.” Luna responded acidly, raising one of these and flailing it around, before she paused and then stomped firmly down on one of Scrivener's front hoofs, making him yelp as it snapped apart automatically into a claw as he raised it with a wince. “Well, Scrivy does not. He may take thy hand.” Celestia slowly turned her eyes to Luna, and the sapphire mare cleared her throat awkwardly after a moment before she dropped her head forwards and mumbled: “I shall shut up now.” Kismet only shrugged, still calm as ever, and Antares cocked his head curiously, reading into the death entity even before he continued: “For once, I actually approve of my current master's course of action: he asks nothing in return this time, but instead as... apology... for his thoughtless behavior, and the excessive hostility the others have all treated you with, he wishes to offer a truce while Lady Twilight Sparkle is pregnant. He promises a time of peace while she is in her fragile state, during which he will quietly retire to his own projects, and he will not come forwards to ask for your help until after her child has been born. And he will do so more peacefully this time. He is still convinced, for better or worse, that he can earn your trust and aid.” Kismet stopped, then added in a quieter voice: “I apologize for the fact that I did not think to tell Thesis myself of Lady Twilight's pregnancy, and the dangers I put you all in. I... feared that Thesis might see the unborn child only as raw materials, not as a life-to-be, and he may have tried to... take it, or injure it. I am very glad this is not the case.” “Are you sure?” Celestia asked quietly, and when Kismet looked at her, she said tactfully: “I trust you, Kismet: my brother trusts you and my sister says you are honorable, and this is more than enough for me to put my confidence in you, even if we are unfortunately on different sides of the battlefield. But Thesis has proven... unstable.” Kismet nodded slowly, looking down and rubbing slowly at the underside of his chin, before he glanced up and asked softly: “Then let me extend my own personal assurance that if Thesis does make a... foolish play, I will do everything in my power to intervene. But I do not believe that he will break his word this time. Please do not take this the wrong way, but Thesis perhaps sympathizes for the baby in his strange way: it is an incomplete life, as he is obsessed with living an incomplete existence.” Pinkamena snorted at this, saying distastefully: “I was a broken model once... and all my parts still aren't in the right place. But even I got it through my goddamn head I couldn't just go cutting up everyone who had a happier life than me.” “Yeah, because most of us would be dead and you wouldn't have anyone left to torment.” Scrivener remarked, and Pinkamena punched him in the kidney even as she nodded, the stallion wincing as Luna flinched a bit. Kismet chuckled quietly at this, but he didn't respond, only calmly looking at the ponies as they looked across at him. Cowlick chewed slowly on her cigarette even as smoke wafted slowly up from it, while Barry was peering nervously over the row of ponies, staring in fear at the death entity before Discombobulation finally broke the silence by holding up his hand and saying: “I don't like being one-armed twins with him. It makes me feel like I should be Sickle and he should be Hammer. Because you know, Sickle's the overtalkative one and Hammer wears the clown mask. Also, that is not by any means an invitation to lay a beatdown on my face.” “Yes, we have plenty of reason to do that already.” Luna rolled her eyes, before she studied Kismet moodily, then asked finally: “May we... offer thee anything, Kismet? I do not know what death entities enjoy. Drinking? Grave dirt? Blood? We have all manner of blood, as thou can see. Or does thou just desire to wax philosophical, in which can thou can do so with Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle and Celestia, and the rest of us will go inside and get cheerfully drunk.” “Ooh. That's a hard choice. But every time I get drunk Celestia takes terrible advantage of me.” Discombobulation remarked, rubbing absently at the underside of his chin, and Celestia smiled despite herself before the chimerical creature looked moodily at Sleipnir. “And I'm very scared that kind of thing runs in the family. And the last thing I desire is to be abused by a large and bulky stallion.” “Fear not, I shan't abuse thee, Draconequus. I can be most gentle, even when quite drunk.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Discombobulation shivered as Luna grinned widely and Celestia laughed and shook her head slowly. Kismet chuckled himself, then he bowed his head and said gently: “I have no wish to interrupt you. If it is of no trouble, though, I have a moment of freedom, and I desire to enjoy the... the life of this world. The world that Thesis comes from...” Kismet's glowing eyes seemed to fade slightly, his head turning away a little. “It is an old world, a world that has been dying for... more years than I desire to count. And yet it is no longer alive, either. Only... metal.” There was silence, and then Antares looked up and asked quietly, surprising the others: “Would you mind if I walked with you, Kismet? We could go back to Ponyville if you wanted. I think people would be a little less afraid of you if you show up with me, too.” “And I'd... like to walk with you too. Please.” Twilight Sparkle added, and Kismet bowed his head deeply to them, the Lich blushing before mumbling: “And... thank you, too, by the way, for... everything. I actually appreciate you... keeping my secret from Thesis. That means a lot to me.” Kismet only nodded, and then Luna shrugged and huffed, but she was smiling even as she said: “Well, very well then, abandon me here. But I warn thee, Sleipnir and I will doubtlessly heckle Celestia into the great log-toss, and thou art going to miss all the fun.” “You guys are such freaks. But I'm staying to watch that.” Cowlick said mildly, tapping her cigarette before she glanced mildly back at Kismet. “One question, Mister Death: it ain't Decretum, is it, where your big bad boss is hanging out, right?” “It is not. But I cannot tell you more than that. As it is, I've perhaps let a few things slip that I should not have.” Kismet responded, and then he turned and gestured to the two ponies, asking softly: “Shall we, then?” Antares smiled a bit, then he hesitated before impulsively turning and hugging Luna tightly, and the sapphire mare looked surprised for a moment... but then closed her eyes and hugged her son fiercely back, the faintest tremble going through her as he murmured: “I love you, Mom. I'll see you tonight, okay?” “Aye... I... I love thou too.” Luna almost whispered in gratitude, smiling warmly after her son, and Antares smiled wider despite the faint blush in his cheeks. But he saw happiness in his parents' eyes, approval on the faces of others, and he bowed his head quickly before turning and heading quickly towards the path as Kismet calmly strode out towards the path, and Twilight called her own goodbyes to the others. The three strode down the snowy path together, and Kismet kept his pace leisurely, hand behind his back as he looked back and forth with a smile. And it was like around them, the forest lit up with all the life hidden beneath the blanket of winter: squirrels and birds stuck their heads out of holes in trees, and deer and even Phooka poked their heads curiously out of the forest around them. Antares was quiet, looking back and forth before he finally turned his eyes to Kismet, asking softly: “So you really like it here, huh? And they... well, everything seems to like you. I mean, that sense around you that you give off... why does it seem to make all these things come out and so calm, when us ponies it kind of... scares?” “Because I have found that many people forget death is not just an ending, but a beginning. But nature knows that. A single deer dies; it feeds a pack of wolves, and a flock of birds that pick apart the scraps, and countless insects. What remains are left rot, and spill their nutrients into the soil, giving birth to grass that will feed the grazing animals that pass.” Kismet turned his kind eyes to Antares, nodding to him once. “Life begets death; death begets life. I like to believe that there's nothing wrong with that, as biased as I may be.” Twilight smiled faintly, before Kismet turned his eyes towards her and added softly: “But there's nothing wrong with clinging to the life that you have for as long as you live... as long, of course, as you continue to live, instead of only delaying inevitable death out of fear or selfishness.” There was silence for a few moments, and then he gazed ahead and gave a soft sigh of serenity. “Yes. This is a good world. You have fought much, and there has been much pain... but now, in these moments of peace, your entire world resonates with how thankful you all are for the lives you live, and everything you have earned. I like it here.” Antares and Twilight only smiled on either side of the death entity, bowing their heads to him gratefully as the three continued on towards Ponyville, both silently agreeing: this was a good world. And they would never, ever take what they had earned for granted. Top ↑